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The Green Classroom Initiative: Developing a non-formal educational resource to promote positiveyouth development in an elementary school in theCentral Valley region of Costa Rica.Marlee CeaSIT Graduate Institute

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mailto:[email protected]

Youth Development in Costa Rica:

The Green Classroom Initiative: Developing a non-formal educational resource to

promote positive youth development in an elementary school in the Central Valley region

of Costa Rica.

Marlee Jo Cea

PIM 72

A Capstone Paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts

in Sustainable Development at SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.

May 21, 2016

Advisor: John Ungerleider

2

I hereby grant permission for World Learning to publish my capstone on its websites and in any

of its digital/ electronic collections, and to reproduce and transmit my CAPSTONE

ELECTRONICALLY. I understand that World Learning’s websites and digital collections are

publicly available via the Internet. I agree that World Learning is NOT responsible for any

unauthorized use of my capstone by any third party who might access it on the Internet or

otherwise.

Student name: Marlee Jo Cea

Date: May 21, 2016

3

Dedication and Acknowledgements

Without the support of my counterparts while working in Costa Rica, none of this would be

possible. I’d like specifically to thank Luis Emilio Hernández, Luis Guillermo Nuñez Rosalez

and Miriam Mendez Montero. Their support and guidance has been invaluable to the project, my

thesis and me personally. I’d also like to acknowledge all who helped me complete my research

and to the staff of the Escuela Los Jardines in general, who have allowed me to become part of

their family and grow with them in the process of creating a better environment for the students.

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. List of Abbreviations 5

II. Abstract 6

III. Introduction 7

a. Methodology 9

IV. Development Theories 10

a. Interdisciplinary Origin 11

V. New Approaches; Principles and Practices 15

a. Asset-Based Approach 16

b. Education Reform 18

c. Experiential Learning 21

VI. Collaborating Institutions 23

a. Peace Corps 23

b. Ministry of Public Education 25

c. Peace Corps Training 26

VII. Green Classroom Initiative 28

VIII. Survey Results 33

IX. Conclusions 38

X. Final Reflections 40

XI. Bibliography 42

XII. Appendix A: 40 Developmental Asset checklist 44

XIII. Appendix B: Mission and Objectives of Collaborating Institutions 45

XIV. Appendix C: Blank Survey (in Spanish) 46

XV. Appendix D: Survey Responses (in Spanish) 47

List of Abbreviations

Community Economic Development CED

Course-Linked Capstone CLC

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM

Ministerio de Educatión Pública (Ministry of Public Education) MEP

Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (Child Protection Agency) PANI

Peace Corps Costa Rica PCCR

Peace Corps Volunteer PCV

School for International Training SIT

Teaching English as a Foreign Language TEFL

United States Agency for International Development USAID

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund UNICEF

Youth Development YD

Youth Program Leadership YPL

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ABSTRACT

While Costa Rica is not the most under-developed country in Central America, it still

experiences poverty and school drop outs on par with neighboring countries and some

exceptional regions of the United States. The primary focus of this thesis is to discuss how the

“Green Classroom” initiative, a Peace Corps Volunteer’s attempt to create sustainable change, is

rooted in modern educational theories; and how they have influenced the organizations and

practical methodologies used to engineer this project. A secondary focus is on the process the

volunteer and vital project partners experienced to create a sustainable educational resource for a

primary school in the central valley region of Costa Rica. Survey responses from educators and

other school staff offer final insights into the real impact of the Green Classroom as a resource

that engages community members at all levels.

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time

-T.S. Elliot

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Introduction

As part of the requirement for a Master of Arts in Sustainable Development from SIT

Graduate Institute, I completed my six-month practicum while serving two years as a Peace

Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Costa Rica. For me joining Peace Corps provided an opportunity to

witness and participate in the painstaking process of the sustainable or grassroots approach to

development that I had studied at SIT the previous year. Peace Corps Costa Rica (PCCR)

provided me the opportunity to do this work, more specifically, through youth development. The

PCCR program places a strong emphasis on training for by requiring all volunteers to participate

in a three-month intensive training program before being sent to their assigned sites. The training

program is designed to create clarity in their role and function for volunteers as they venture into

their communities to become development professionals. In addition to intercultural competency

and language instruction, we were given technical tools, such as the SWOT analysis that helps

the community self-identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This and similar

tools allowed us to discover the unique realities in our sites. They helped to uncover a number of

unmet needs within the school I was volunteering at, Los Jardines Elementary, as well as

potential project partners willing to collaborate with me in addressing these concerns.

Prepared with skills of analysis from SIT and practical tools from our training, my next

two years became a constant activity in deconstructing and exploring a new understanding of

grassroots youth development. As a volunteer I participated, assisted, and led many different

projects with multiple counterparts and with varying levels of responsibilities. The featured

project of this thesis was the only project I watched grow with great potential from the

beginning. The “Green Classroom” idea was an organic progression of a proposal my project

partner had set in motion before my arrival. His idea was to transform part of the school’s

8

property into a functional outdoor educational setting while simultaneously bringing back native

trees and plants to a barren hilltop, essentially reforesting the area. This original idea included a

level of community engagement, hoping to broaden the benefits for the entire community,

including some at-risk families. The “Green Classroom” now represents the transformation of

school grounds enhanced with the environmentally resourceful elements, such as a rain-water

collection tank, compost structure, a designated area for individual classroom gardens and a

grassy play area that serves as a safe zone in evacuation scenarios for students. The student’s

participation in gardens and group projects adds a layer of leadership development as well. The

momentum it has gained comes from the vision and understanding of the educational

possibilities while it benefits teachers, staff, students, parents and the community as a whole. The

Green Classroom also serves as an invitation for educators, students and relatives to continue to

think outside of the box regarding education and learning.

Primarily, this paper’s focus is to connect a brief theoretical review to the influence

behind the evolution of the Green Classroom initiative from idea conception to leveraging

existing resources to creating a sustainable resource for a priority population. The secondary

focus regards the impact it has had on the teachers and staff as they have adapted to going

beyond their classroom to teach their students and create positive learning environments. The

paper is constructed in a Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) format, revisiting relevant theory from

the Youth Program Leadership (YPL) course taken during the on-campus phase at SIT. Personal

reflections from hands-on experience will balance the concepts explored in the studied theories

with the practical applications examined in the off-campus phase as a Peace Corps Volunteer

(PCV) Youth Development (YD) Coordinator.

9

The initial writing will focus on creating a theoretical knowledge base of child and youth

development. The influence of iconic psychologists, such as Erikson and Piaget, play a major

role in laying the ground work for modern non-formal educational theory, from which the Green

Classroom benefits greatly. The principles of youth development will also be explored as this

project utilizes them to create the next generation of successful leaders in their communities.

Examples and concrete applications of youth development are identified as well, including those

acquired through Peace Corps Trainings. In addition to relevant theory and modern approaches

to youth development, we will explore the collaborating institutions whose visions and missions

reflect a growing commitment to positive youth development. That will later be followed by the

history and evolution of the Green Classroom project as it became the primary focus of my work

as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the subsequent section, I will present the feedback from a survey

that was sent to all available teachers and staff at the Los Jardines Elementary school in San

Ramon of Alajuela in Costa Rica; the site for the implementation of the Green Classroom.

Methodology

The survey was formatted with open-ended questions, giving the respondents an

opportunity to add qualitative feedback. It was not made mandatory, and there was no incentive

to participating. The survey questions asked the responder to reflect on the condition of the

school before the project began and their opinion on how the “Green Classroom” project

addressed challenges the school faced. It also asked their opinion on the sustainability of the

project, whether it was something that would maintain value in the future. In total, 15 teachers,

staff and administration were offered this survey. The answers received are presented

anonymously, and their non identifiable written responses will be available as an Appendix, with

the exception of the Guidance Counselor’s whose document was incompatible with the software

10

used for this thesis. The goal here is to reveal their perspectives on the project as a whole,

whether it serves them as teachers and offers something to the students, and if they feel it

addresses the existing needs of the school. As the timeline of a Peace Corps Volunteer is

generally not be long enough to see a truly sustainable project all the way through, it is often left

to the community to carry on with it and grow as the project grows, to see it become a permanent

fixture in that community, or whether it is sustained at all. I will rely, therefore, on feedback

from the people whom the project was handed off to and those who stand to benefit the most

from the project to get genuinely invested perspectives on the project’s impact.

This thesis hopes to contribute an example to the growing field of positive youth

development practices while offering supportive theories from a variety of directly and indirectly

related fields of study. The intent is not to advocate for a total education revolution, but rather to

demonstrate the added benefits of implementing non-formal education techniques as an

alternative to traditional methodologies.

Development Theory

While attending SIT Graduate Institute, one of the hardest assignments I had was to

define “Sustainable Development” in ten pages or less. Even after studying theories of social

change, economics, globalization and other related fields, the answer seemed far less obvious

than anticipated. Youth development, as a sub-category has turned out to be equally

interdisciplinary and broad in definition. Steven Hamilton, Mary A. Hamilton and Karen Pittman

explain the nuance of development by defining it as a process and not a goal. They quote John

Dewey (1938) in identifying that the purpose of development is to enable a person to continue to

develop (2004). There is no end product but rather a capacity that is built out of the process.

Merriam-Webster defines it as simply, an “act or process of creating something over a period of

11

time” (n.d.). Therefore, while versatile in application, it needs clarification depending on which

field you are discussing. For example, this thesis briefly explores concepts from child and human

development in the field of psychology. Development here refers to an individual’s advancement

through those stages based on biological processes. This helps to inform the “why” behind

customizing programs to be age, culture, and environmentally appropriate. In greater depth, this

thesis will discuss positive youth development and its application in individual and community

growth. These particular fields inform the “how” behind the successful frameworks of alternative

education practices as they become more contextualized.

Interdisciplinary Origin

Hamilton, Hamilton, and Pittman provide a three-prong definition of youth development.

The first is the “natural process” or the “growing capacity for young people to understand and act

on the environment” (2004). The other two are “principle” and “practice” and will be discussed

in greater detail in subsequent sections. This first of three components refers to the human and

psychological elements inherent in humans as they play out in the larger social context. Child

development is commonly understood through stages that many psychologists have reiterated in

different models over the last century. Piaget and Erickson offer two different frameworks that

identify specific changes in cognitive abilities as youth age, with each stage building on the one

before. Piaget’s stages emphasize an on-going learning process indicates that children are not

less intelligent than adults but rather that learning is an “inherently active process” they

participate in all the time (Cherry, 2015). Out of his four main stages, the third stage, children 7-

11 years old, is the concrete operational stage where children begin to demonstrate logic and

self-awareness of their own unique ideas. Erikson, on the other hand, outlines developmental

stages throughout a lifetime, not just in childhood. His fourth stage identifies youth at 6-11 years

12

old who have come into the Industry vs. Inferiority stage. At this stage, a child’s social

environment expands and includes classmates, and they begin to take pride in accomplishments

(Cherry, 2015). Here we also see the origin of the Constructivist theory and experiential learning.

Both of which are based on the observation that youth, and adults, construct their own

understanding of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on them”, (WNET

Education, n.d.).

Engaging with peers, finding a sense of competence, achievement, and self-confidence

are the main skills developed in this stage. Traditional models of education have students sitting

in desks listening to lectures and taking notes. By using the garden space and Green Classroom

elements, teachers cultivate a space for students to set goals and share ideas. They are

encouraged to use their creativity for group problem solving. At these stages those enrolled in

school will be in a primary or elementary school, positioning these institutions as the platforms

where the majority of this foundational experience takes place. It sets the stage for leadership and

self-confidence building, adding to a list of strengths that will allow them to take on more

challenges in the future. Recess at the school where the project takes place is an example of

where their behavior and social interactions were observed in a larger setting than just in the

classroom. It was time, at the end of every second lesson, for students to run around and release

pent-up energies. If it was raining or they couldn’t play soccer, they would play the games they

made up, which were most often chasing and tagging games. The leaders were frequently louder

than the rest and had the final say in game regulation calls. They were usually older than the

others and had behavioral issues for which they were sent to the school psychologist or guidance

counselor on occasion. Girls rarely played soccer; if they did they were usually younger. The

older girls were either leaders in other games or kept to themselves in a quietly huddled group.

13

Outside of school, these groups would hardly have the opportunity to interact, again establishing

the school as an opportunity to build leadership skills and offer creative outlets. It also gives

students a safe space to interpret their relationship between peers, friends, and authority figures

as social awareness emerges and peer pressures are introduced. During this stage, as Erickson

points out, the sharing of experiences and accomplishment shape a child’s sense of industry and

competence. The school environment provides positive guidance, decreasing the potential

negative impact of building confidence in social situations, often caused by peer rejection. This

fascinating period in life is the perfect stage for creating a school-wide project that all can

participate in, explore learning opportunities, and discover positive social skills with guidance

from educators and support from the community.

In the example of our minimally structured recess, we still observed the students taking it

upon themselves to create their own games. This shows how essential play is to the development

of young people, whether they realize it or not. The significance of play has gained global

momentum. Organizations like the United Nations (UN) have a plethora of reports citing the

positive impact sports and play in education have on the overall development of youth and

children. The UN’s Millennium Development Goals stress this point and conclude that play

motivates youth to make healthier lifestyle choices and improves concentration in school (United

Nations, 2009). It includes elements of child psychology by examining an individual’s behavior

within the context of play. It creates a place free of guidelines where youth are fully engaged in

self-discovery and building social skills (Yalowitz, 1995). In a designated physical green space

for play, children are free to set goals, succeed, or fail and try again. They can build on their

experiences from failing or succeeding while using their imagination. With no grades at stake,

they are allowed to be as industrious, collaborative or inventive as they wish. This idea of play

14

complements the previous theories of stage development from Erickson and Piaget. Capitalizing

on this moment in life, when social skills and a sense of accomplishment are most important, we

lay groundwork for later stages where self identity and drive and work ethic become our focus.

A movement found in schools around the world has been the increased attention on

growing your own food locally. From Peace Corps projects to United Nations International

Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiatives, there are small urban gardening programs

popping up globally, encouraging youth to explore and develop skills in planting, harvesting,

stewardship and conservation. Creating the school garden provides opportunity for teachers to

integrate teachable moments in their daily lessons by connecting their outdoor experience with

the subject matter or teaching transferable skills such as leadership and collaboration. It allows

students to participate at their comfort level and build on existing strengths, like leading,

creating, or motivating. The pressure to perform is eliminated when there is no grade, and yet

there is still a goal to reach. The students are free to use non-curriculum based resources to

problem solve and work together to create a tangible product they can bring home and in the case

of the school garden, they can even eat it. These skills are difficult to nurture in a traditional

classroom setting which is why recreation and alternative education models are a critical part of

primary school education.

A considerable amount of gratitude is owed to the interdisciplinary elements behind the

Green Classroom. It goes beyond general community youth empowerment projects and gives the

power back to young people, having a voice in learning activities while inspiring interpersonal

growth. Without the progress of modern theories, in psychology, education and youth

development, this project would be implausible. Without the support and input of diversely

trained professionals, the idea for an outdoor classroom wouldn’t have been endorsed. A wealth

15

of research has been done in each of the aforementioned fields. While it cannot all be presented

in this thesis, these examples reflect the organic development supportive theory behind the Green

Classroom project and the interconnectivity of related fields of study. The following section and

sub-sections explore the values and principles that guide modern non-formal education theory

and the concrete practices and tools born from the interdisciplinary approach of youth

development.

New Approaches; Principles and Practices

Referring to Hamilton, Hamilton, and Pittman, the final two of three components of their

definition of youth development are “principles” and “practice”. These principles reflect an

approach that emphasizes active involvement in growing capacity in young people while the

practice refers to the programs designed around these principles. “Youth development arose as a

counter-balance to the emphasis in problem prevention and treatment programs on categorizing

youth according to their deficits and trying to remedy them” (2004). With 1.5 billion youth

globally, the need for organizations and governments to include a youth element in their vision

and goals is increasing (UNICEF, n.d.; United Nations, 2009). It wasn’t until the middle of last

century that the federal government started funding initiatives to address issues unique to the

needs of young people in the United States (UNICEF, n.d.). Youth have historically been

excluded from involvement in their learning process. Perhaps it was because what constitutes

general education has traditionally been defined by council members and certified professional

adults. Young people have also been considered dependents and in need of guidance to mature

successfully into adulthood. Youth development has come a long way to be currently positioned

on a positive platform, where youth are understood as full of potential, equipped with “unique

talents, strengths, interests and future potential” (Damon, 2004). Early child psychology reflected

16

a cultural acceptance that we were born with deficits or problems that were society’s

responsibility to fix. Young people are often depicted in the media as problem initiators and

delinquent. Each revision of the Diagnostics Statistical Manual (DSM), we were introduced to

new deficits, disorders, and syndromes.

“This problem-centered vision of youth has dominated most of the professional fields

charged with raising the young. In education… a huge share of resources has been

directed to remediating incapacities of young people with syndromes, such as attention-

deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In child psychology, intense attention has been directed to

self-esteem deficits, especially among girls…” (Damon, 2004, p.14).

As recent as the 1980’s research begins to reflect a shift in the way we, as practitioners,

understand our roles in their development. Research began identifying youth attributes,

potentialities, and competencies instead of deficits and disabilities. By studying resiliency,

researchers like Norman Garmezy and Emily Werner shed light on the assumption that children

are fragile. Their research identified resiliency as a quality developed and used to overcome

many adversities, actually being able to thrive under significant stressors. Bonnie Bernard later

expanded on Werner’s research and connected resilience with other positive qualities such as

hopefulness, persistence, success orientation, and a sense of purpose (1993). “Such claims and

data created underpinnings for the positive youth development approach” (Damon, 2004). This

research started the discussion of positive youth attributes in a world of negatives. The 1990’s

brought Peter Benson and colleagues who established “developmental assets,” an approach that

focused on an array of contributing factors that influence youth development, both external and

internal, that can be built upon to create positive social identity and behavior (Damon, 2004).

Asset-Based Approach

The Search Institute is the leading agency that has been conducting research in asset-

based youth development for decades. Since the 1990’s, they has surveyed over 3 million youth

17

from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. One of their most versatile tools for application or

guidance has been the 40 Developmental Assets checklist. This is a list that examines internal

and external attitudes, values, and support systems of participants. According to the Search

Institute’s Scales and Leffert, the more assets someone can identify with, the more likely they

present with positive behaviors and attitudes concerning leadership, good health habits and

success in schools. Additionally, they show stronger resiliency facing adversities and challenges

such as the risk of drug/ alcohol abuse, a tendency towards violence, and unhealthy sexual

practices (2004). Support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations and constructive use of

time at home, school and in the community are key external factors they have identified as

assets. Internal assets are based on the individual’s commitment to learn, their positive values

(i.e. honesty, responsibility, integrity and equality), their social competency and positive identity

(i.e. self of purpose, personal power, and future outlook) (Search Institute, 2004). These assets

offer protection from risks they may be exposed to as well as present opportunity for

achievement. The Green Classroom, for example, offers a place for students to learn new skills,

explore interests and potential career options, apply a positive outlook to future prospects, as

well as gain awareness of how one’s actions impact the larger community (National

Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for youth [NCWD], 2004). The student’s direct

interaction with the environment and conservation technology creates a sense of responsibility

and connects the student to their school campus.

It is important to understand youth in terms of strengths and potentiality as program

development is guided by these perspectives. The Search Institute’s research has been “widely

utilized” all over the world to help identify “a set of skills, experiences, relationships, and

behaviors that enable young people to develop into successful and contributing adults”

18

(Research: Developmental assets section, para. 1). Programs such as the Youth Development

sector of Peace Corps benefit from this research as it narrows their focus to specific attributes

and skills for youth and/ or their support systems to improve upon. This perspective, for

example, can gear projects towards encouraging positive self esteem, leadership in communities,

visualizing a positive outlook of their futures by committing to staying in school to accomplish

goals they learn to set for themselves.

While most definitions qualify youth development with the ability to complete critical

tasks or attain certain objectives (NCWD, 2004), the Search Institute, and other youth

development organizations recognize the utility of these skills as youth engage in employment

opportunities. The NCWD has adapted the following working definition to guide their mission

and program goals:

“Youth development is a process which prepares young people to meet the challenges of

adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and

experiences which help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and

cognitively competent” (2004, pg. 3-4).

The long term vision incorporated into program develop gives a greater scope to the

possibilities. Programs that invest in the aforementioned attitudes, skills, and knowledge are

optimal for preparing youth to manage and benefit from future choices and situations they may

face as they advance into adulthood.

Education Reform

The idea that one size education should fit all is no longer sufficient. Therefore an

updated approach to effective teaching strategies has become a meaningful area of research. One

alternative analysis for non-traditional or progressive education is described by Kohn in his book

The Schools our children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and “tougher”

19

standards. First, he outlines the two “schools” of thought on education, identifying the traditional

four-wall education system as ineffective. Alternative education techniques, as Piaget and Freire

have identified, promote the active learning process, as opposed to static memorization. It is the

idea that education “engages discovery and innovation, reflection and problem-solving,” (1999).

In his book, Kohn points out those earlier philosophers such as Piaget and Dewey confronted the

status quo and helped to reimagine education to be more democratic and fluid. Piaget is

mentioned for his analysis of the relationship between the learner and their environment. The

traditional two- dimensional classroom layout, with teachers up front and students quietly seated

in rows, was challenged when it was proposed this was not the best way for anyone to learn,

especially young learners. They suggested a more dynamic process that included analysis,

synthesis, and reflection of an experience. While this concept was not considered mainstream at

first, this approach would inspire others to challenge the existing state of education for years to

come. So essential are their theories that they are still taught today in fundamental education

courses.

Kohn also analyzes the efficacy of traditional education and the difficulties progressive

education has faced and still faces trying to make a significant impact on educational reform. A

good indicator of the longevity of this particular battle is “banking”, a term Freire coined in the

middle of the 20th century as a result of his critique of the Western model of education.

“Banking” refers to the static classroom setting where teachers recite a narrative to students for

them to memorize, effectively “depositing” new information. The result of this practice produces

passive students and makes the teachers sole responsible party for the all new data acquisition.

The “banking” methodology, together with a rigid predetermined definition of education, has

lead to a standardization of testing now used to identify intelligence, or to judge how much of

20

this new information the students have retained. This narrowing of the definition of education

has led to programs such as “No child left behind”; a program that swept the United States in the

early 2000’s. It set a national bar for all students, without regard to ability or circumstance.

While it may have begun with good intentions to bring a functional baseline that all educational

institutions could use, it has not been as successful in practice. It “judges schools and children

based solely on standardized test scores at the expense of preparing them with 21st century

skills” (National Education Association, 2009). This program has fostered a “teach to the test”

ideology that “narrow(s) the curriculum and divert(s) resources from art, music, social studies

and physical education” (National Education Association), tying the hands of many educators

and stunting the creative process of learning for many students.

This ideology has spread to developing countries as cultural practices are shared and

adopted. The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) of Costa Rica also administers a standardized

testing program in order to advance in grade level, both in primary and secondary institutions. I

observed an overwhelming amount of students who were held back either in one or two classes

or by entire grade levels and parents who regarded it as normal. Art, music, and physical

education were suspended for lack of financial resources; essentially viewed as non-essential

core subject material. When approached with proposals for projects, most teachers were hesitant

about using classroom time for workshops and even less inclined to utilize time before or after

class, as this cut into planning and committee meeting time for most of the year. This restriction

on creativity can be just as detrimental for teachers as it is for students and the learning process.

“For apart from inquiry, apart from praxis, individuals cannot be truly human.

Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through restless, impatient

continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with

each other” (Freire,1968).

21

Here, Freire hints at one of his most influential ideas; that education is political. The relationship

he brings to light has helped influence the shift away from “banking” and static teaching

methods towards more of a focus on individual inquiry and an emphasis on knowledge rather

than information acquisition. The Green Classroom project gives students the chance to

participate in a garden or the maintenance of a compost project. Space was also built into the

design for future projects, inspiring critical thinking, and resourcefulness. Engaging youth at a

critical level teaches a transferable skill, something Freire though should be present in education,

making them more engaged in the larger context of society as adults.

When we examine how the Costa Rican government prioritizes education in its spending,

more so than most governments spend on their military, we see hints of Freirian sentiment;

accepting that education is a political value, an investment in the betterment of their citizens and

therefore a more stable, inclusive, and fruitful society. Not just any education, but an education

taught independent of an overpowering dichotomy that understates the potential of students.

While this sentiment is reflected in MEP’s organizational vision and objectives (see Appendix

A), the reality for each institution depends on the availability or management of human and

financial resources. These variables indicate room for growth in the Costa Rican education

system as well as in the work Peace Corps is doing with MEP.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the practical archetype in response to non-traditional education

theory. It has been developed as a hands-on tool for designing a learning environment, from

workshops and trainings to general teaching praxis. Depending on whom you ask, the explicit

definition of experiential learning varies. Kolb, who is not the originator of experiential learning,

but whom is often cited in non-traditional education theory, explains in his book on Experiential

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Learning Theory (2014) the difficulty experiential learning has had along the way. Some

empirical scientists have criticized it for being an erroneous method of learning, full of bias with

a lack of any new real information gained from the actual experience. Over the years it has been

recast in the visually expression of a continuous cycle: experience, reflective observation,

drawing conclusions and active (re)experimentation. The cornerstone of learning, as Kolb

reflects Piaget’s influence in the field, is based on the “continual transaction between

assimilation [of experiences into existing schemas] and accommodation [of schemas to

experience]” (Kolb, pg 23). He makes the point that the experience alone is not necessarily the

crux of learning potential, but rather the reflective practice afterwards where the learner

identifies a new perspective. The Experiential Learning Theory is based, first, on the individual,

their learning styles and the context in which they are learning. “When learning is conceived as a

holistic adaptive process, it provides conceptual bridges across life situations such as school and

work, portraying learning as a continuous, lifelong process” (Kolb, 1984). This emphasis on

process over outcome sets experiential learning theory apart from traditional approaches to

learning.

Other professional contributions in the field of education include Jennifer Moon who

wrote “A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice” in 2004, in

which she draws together a foundation for the process of learning in general then examines the

reflective practices that define experiential learning. It is not unusual, Moon says, for activities

on courses such as “brainstorming, syndicate work, and games or simulations to be described as

learning methods” or facilitation methods. Moon separates learning from essentially instruction

in a traditional perspective, which it is to be “absorbed” by the learner. When she rejects the

“brick wall” methodology and applies the constructivist model, we see learning as a building of a

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network of connections, linked ideas that the learner uses to make sense of their world (Moon,

2004). With this new understanding we can then make more informed decisions going forward,

rounding out the experiential learning cycle.

The progress youth development has experienced in the last few decades has made leaps

and bounds in being able to reach students at their level. It has become more inclusive and

dynamic while attempting to steer away from treatment and problem based approaches. The

research that the Search Institute conducts continues to expand and is accessible as a resource for

educators and youth support systems. Youth development, with global recognition has become

has become, for many countries, a political issue. Poignant theories from Freire and Piaget are

still actively called upon to explain modern education praxis. Despite early non-acceptance of its

scope and relevance, their challenge to tradition has expanded the discourse of education and

brought to light an alternative to tradition and innovative methodology. Progressive models like

asset-based and experiential learning theory are now recognized for their efficacy and application

in educational settings around the world. The subsequent section presents key institutions in

Costa Rica and in the United States that have been heavily influenced by these advances in

education and youth development.

Collaborating Institutions

Peace Corps

The Peace Corps and Costa Rica have maintained a relationship almost as long as Peace

Corps itself has been established. In 1961, The United States Congress passed the Foreign

Assistance Act, enacting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

which later created the Peace Corps. From 1963 to present day Peace Corps Costa Rica (PCCR)

has leveraged over 3,600 volunteers in the effort to help fulfill their development goals (Peace

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Corps, n.d.). For over 50 years PCCR has worked closely with Costa Rican government

establishments and community partners to identify and address the needs of the country. While

the needs continually evolve with the development of Costa Rica, three main areas of focus have

been determined by collaborating institutions to build the framework for PCCR; Youth

Development (YD), Community Economic Development (CED) and Teaching English as a

Foreign Language (TEFL). While these are country specific, Peace Corps also has three

overarching global goals (see Appendix A). The first goal of Peace Corps is to meet the needs for

trained men and women in interested countries. In other words, Peace Corps does not exist in

countries that have not solicited the organization for help. This ensures that the development

initiatives are community-based and not imposed by an outside government or governing

agency. The two other global goals prioritize bringing awareness of cultural realities from host

country nationals to volunteers and from volunteers to friends and family of the volunteer in the

United States. Even though USAID has stopped direct funding of Peace Corps in Costa Rica, it

survives based on a grant from USAID that allows for the continued collaboration between the

Peace Corps and Costa Rica.

While other areas of focus continue to play a significant role the grassroots development

of Costa Rica, the evolution of the YD program is the most relevant to the development of the

main project in this thesis. “The Youth Development Project began in 1990, in collaboration with

the Costa Rican Child Protection Agency (PANI), a government institution dedicated to the

promotion and protection of child and adolescent rights” (PCCR, 2012). Volunteers would work

in field offices, primary and secondary schools on prevention and projects with PANI, however,

the scope was so broad it became difficult to provide effective training, monitoring and reports to

the Washington, D.C. headquarters. The YD program staff attended a series of events in Costa

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Rica that spotlighted the most imperative social issues and a network of institutions and

organizations which were dealing with them. From there the program’s framework narrowed in

focus and expanded in resources.

“As a result, the project framework limits the work of volunteers to promoting life skills

and healthy lifestyles in a way that promotes that they stay in school, provides them with

quality information related to sexual health and gender equality, and involves them in

activities that serve as healthy alternatives to alcohol and other drug consumption. In

order to make the work with youth more sustainable, the second Project goal aims to

create and strengthen support networks for youth that includes work with parents and

youth service providers.” (PCCR, 2012).

This increase in efficacy allows for the training to specialize in skill building while working with

existing positive youth development initiatives, from community and government levels. PANI

and MEP are the two major government agencies that have a reliable presence throughout the

country with an established collaborative relationship with PCCR. Other non-profit organizations

are limited to their specific community but are also vetted and included in the site assignment

process to make the best use of the volunteers’ time in site.

Ministry of Public Education

From the education perspective, MEP provides an array of program areas ensuring multi-

dimensional support in education and life-skills. For example, they have government programs

specifically geared towards the improvement in the quality of life and access to opportunities in

identified priority communities, especially in rural areas that face unique needs. They also have

an established a grant system which allows for families to apply for financial assistance in

paying for school supplies and lunches. One of their more hands- on initiatives requires teacher

and staff leadership of various committees in arts, technology, science, and environmentalism.

They require that these committees are active through the local, regional and nationally

organized events that take place year-round. For example there is an annual Student Art Festival

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and their first school-wide competitions are held midway through the academic year to qualify

for the regional events. If a competing school makes it to the national level, they could be

practicing and attending events up until the end of the year.

In addition, the Costa Rican government fully realizes the issue of climate change and

has made historic and innovative strides towards raising awareness and taking action. Recently

they have switched to using renewable energy grids and have incorporated many policies that

support a definitive effort on behalf of the citizens as well as the government. For teachers and

fellow MEP employees, this means a greater emphasis on their environmental stewardship

groups in schools. The Blue Flag or “Bandera Azul” committee is responsible for initiating

conservational activities and programs. Schools are recognized for their accomplishments and

receive a flag with an additional star for each successful initiative. This collection of objectives

outlined by MEP reflects the practical implications of a more integrated approach to education,

based on surveys and studies that show the notion that traditional methods are not sufficient to

raise the bar for the type of education they want their youth to receive. It shows that Costa Rica

recognizes it is a country of many needs but as they are looking to affect the most positive

change they have committed to a comprehensive education system. For this reason, and the more

obvious direct impact they have on youth development, they serve as an irreplaceable partner of

PCCR youth development program.

Peace Corps Training

As an organization, the Peace Corps has also modified their training program objectives

to reflect the evolving global conversation in prioritizing participatory and grass root

development. For Peace Corps Costa Rica this translates into a three-pronged training program to

help volunteers better understand their role as development professionals as they enter into their

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service. The comprehensive training in PCCR is split between program, sector, and language

training. As previously mentioned, PCCR has three sectors; Youth Development, TEFL,

Community Economic Development. Sector training dives into the institutions volunteers will be

working with, the municipal structure, and networks they can also use for personal and

professional development while operating in their assigned location. As a Youth Development

Volunteer, working primarily with the youth population in either primary or secondary schools,

we were trained to employ proven effective tools and resources that would help us reach sector

objectives. These resources could include teacher workshops on non-formal education

techniques to non-violent communication workshops for parents. Peace Corps staff provides

volunteers with community development tools as well, designed to capture strengths and

challenges and insight into how best to approach them. According to the Youth Development

Plan (2012), by the end of training, all volunteers are expected to be able to complete all, but not

limited to, the following:

Plan, facilitate and evaluate a team building activity that promotes positive youth

development, using the 4MAT session plan template

Describe how staying in school, sexual health and gender equality, and healthy

alternatives to drug consumption can positively impact Costa Rican youth

Demonstrate interest in and knowledge of Costa Rican youth reality, culture, and needs

Demonstrate knowledge of national partner organizations' goals and their link to the YD

project, (Peace Corps, n.d.)

Kolb is noted also for his influence in the development of the 4MAT model (McCarthy,

1990). From this model, a 4MAT template was adopted by PCCR to help volunteers design, plan

and facilitate educational experiences; an example being a workshop for students on recycling. It

requires at least one of each of the following as sections: motivation, content, conclusions, and

application. These four elements, when facilitated properly, ensure that at the end of the

workshop or lesson, the audience can apply new information in real life situations. This template

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is used to train volunteers and taught as a tool for them to use in their communities, expanding its

usefulness in capacity building within communities.

The successful collaboration of these institutions is due in part to the positive community

development each has committed to, whether explicit in their mission and vision or in their more

detailed programmatic frameworks. Every year there is a survey offered to both volunteers and

project partners. For the YD and TEFL sectors, these partners are usually MEP employees as

these sectors partner directly with MEP to place volunteers in schools around the country. The

project partners work closely with the volunteers to create positive change in their communities

throughout the two year service commitment. The volunteers self-assess their effectiveness and

level of integration and safety while the project partners are asked to rate the volunteers on

professionalism and efficacy. This feedback allows for frequent evaluation and opportunity to

redirect when needed. In the 50 years of working in Costa Rican communities, Peace Corps has

been part of the education transformation and results have been overwhelmingly positive. The

following section gives one of many examples of this process.

Green Classroom Initiative

As a Youth Development (YD) volunteer, I was assigned to the semi-urban community

of Los Jardines, a smaller community two kilometers outside of the greater metropolitan area of

San Ramon. The larger township of San Ramon is situated along the Inter-American highway, a

central vein that connects North and Central American countries. During the first three months,

volunteers are expected to use community development tools to conduct a diagnostic that reflects

initial conversations, interviews, surveys and conclusions of the needs of the community based

on these interactions with community members. The conclusions I was able to draw from my

community reflect three major areas of focus, or issues. Being that Los Jardines is a low-income

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neighborhood, many of the homes were government or church subsidized. Many of the students

who attended the primary school also lived there with their parents or other family members,

who often had season jobs and therefore not a steady income flow to the household. From

surveys conducted by their local health division, young people make up over 35% of the

population in this community but there were few options or areas for recreation. The compact

housing situation forced any play activities into the streets where they were exposed to transient

and adults and insecure areas near roads.

Another conclusion identified potential for youth drug use, student drop-out rates,

domestic issues within the family dynamic, seasonal work opportunities and poverty as other key

challenges this small community faced. Many youth in the community could not identify with

some of the positive external or internal assets from the 40 Developmental Assets list previously

mentioned. Teachers and staff reported many students had little support or encouragement at

home and did not exhibit positive social competencies that would offer a layer of protection

against the risks they are exposed to in their communities. While there were many challenges,

there were also dedicated staff, parents and community leaders working hard to address them.

MEP also has implemented a “priority” system in certain schools throughout the country.

Schools that identify with a significant population of students who struggle with learning or

behavioral difficulties are staffed with an inter-disciplinary team that consists of a psychologist, a

social worker and a guidance counselor. As a volunteer, my ability to help was limited by my

professional experience, but I was able to connect with this team and provide support for their

preventative projects.

This was the situation when the idea for the “Green Classroom” took root. My first year

in my community, I learned about an on-going project the social worker had initiated to make

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use of the “backyard” of the school, which previously was overgrown with weeds and virtually

forgotten. The school social worker was interested in bringing back local flora and bird

populations unique to the west central valley area. Thinking broadly, he wanted this experience

to not only benefit the school cosmetically but wanted the community engagement to be a

component. He solicited the collaboration of the national level Joint Institute for Social

Assistance (Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social, IMAS), who’s mission, translate from their website

is:

“(To) promote decent living conditions and social development of individuals, families

and communities at risk of poverty or social vulnerability, with emphasis on extreme

poverty; providing opportunities, services and resources from knowledge of the real

needs of the target population, with a focus on rights , gender equality and territoriality ;

with the active participation of different stakeholders and transparency , spirit of service

and solidarity” (IMAS, n.d.).

Working through IMAS, he was able to engage over 15 families connected to the school and

who had women as heads of households who were, at the time, unemployed. They were paid

depending on the manual hours they contributed at the school and their attendance to weekly

workshops on financial responsibility, teamwork, self and family care, and other life and

professional skill development.

At the end of my first year, the social worker became one of my main project partners as

we began collaborating on what the future of the project would look like. After many inspiring

conversations about why he was doing this project and the awareness and identity it could excite

in the community, we had the idea to integrate into the school on a larger scale. Originally it was

to be a space for students to utilize on weekends as a park or forest where select students who

showed initiative to be trained to give tours for community groups or other schools. Based on

discoveries from my initial diagnostic, there was a shortage of green spaces available, which

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made the idea exceptionally fitting. This particular school was unique in the amount of property

it had for a school so close to a major city. Re-foresting the area would make it a point of interest

in the region. As the potential for this project grew so did our goals. The concept of the “Green

Classroom” was created from the desire to improve the livelihoods of students by making it

accessible and useful for students, teachers and the community.

All of the brainstorming eventually led to the idea for a rain-water collection tank.

Considering the area experiences significant rainfall during their rainy season and, due to a

decade of climatic change, they also experience an increase in months without rain during their

dry season. Often there are water shut offs, like power outages when there is too much or not

enough rain because the municipal system gets overwhelmed and cannot deliver to all of it local

residents at the same time. Looking at the school’s annual expense for water was also an

indicator that there was room for improvement. From these two existing facts, the rain water tank

would be used to supplement water used in their toilets and wash basins the custodians used for

cleaning the floors. These elements would, again, be unique to the school but would also raise

awareness of natural resource conservation; a growing concern at the local and government level.

The start of my second year, I began the process of grant writing. Being able to

collaborate with teachers and administration throughout this process brought new ideas for what

this grant would be able to cover. Almost a full year later we were awarded the grant for about

3,000 USD from Peace Corps small grant system, designed to support small scale volunteer

initiatives. We were able to get a 7,500 liter rain water tank, and materials to install a compost

structure and a flat grass covered area for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes that

doubled as a safe zone during earthquakes and fires. During the time of construction, we kept in

constant communication about the progress of the project and new ideas we could work in. The

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construction and physical implementation of the project took almost a month to complete and

within another couple of weeks the tank was full and ready to be used.

Getting the students involved was a personal mission for both my project partner and me.

Not only this, but building the capacity for educators and youth support systems to see youth as

resources is a key PCCR YD objective. The non-formal educational values derived from theory

began to unfold at this stage in the projects evolution. Logistically, one garden for the school

would be overwhelmed by the large number of students. One of the original ideas to avoid the

eventual clustering was for the teachers to identify individual classroom projects that they

considered an educational experience for their class. My role would be to help design and

facilitate the project and curriculum around the project. For example, the 3rd grade class would

plant and maintain trees to build the forest element on the school grounds, the 4th grade class

would be in charge of keeping up the compost pile and the 5th grade class would build a

hydroponic garden. The teachers would be able to choose a subject and relate it to the on-going

classroom project. Subjects like math, science, social studies, and geography were suggested as

easy topics to pull lesson plans from and adapt them to an outdoor educational experience. This

was our first attempt to appoint non-formal methodologies into the project and bring education

and hands-on activities together. As time went on, however, the idea was reimagined for each

classroom to have their own space for a smaller garden instead of complete projects. We were

able to set up eight different mounds and asked local hardware and agriculture centers for seed

donations. In place of amending entire curriculums, I created a series of workshops for each

grade level that introduced environmental stewardship and basic plant and tree anatomy and bio-

chemistry. At the end of the series, we were able to take the classes out once a week for an

exercise in planting or maintenance of their gardens. These activities rounded out my two years

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of service as it did the end of their school year. The following section will present the insights

and opinions of the staff involved or influenced by the project over the course of two years.

Survey Responses

The teachers and staff were chosen to provide insight of the real and potential impact the

Green Classroom project because their positions as educators and connection and experience

with the students. While the entire staff cares for the well-being of their students, a few make the

effort to really connect with them. Many have seen first-hand how limited developmental assets

and family issues can affect their students in the classroom and that these struggles do not stop at

the school entrance. The imposed standardization leaves many students repeating year after year

and with a lack of support at home, motivation is left up to the teachers. Serving a student

population with learning and behavioral challenges, the teachers see the value in using various

teaching methods and are open to alternatives. When presented with the concept and motivation

for this Green Classroom at a staff meeting, immediately appreciated and they were excited to

contribute their ideas. Coming up with concepts for educational and recreational spaces for

students was turning into space for the teachers and staff to freely express their creativity and it

was incredible to witness.

The survey created for the purpose of inquiry on the efficacy of the Green Classroom

project was delivered to all the available staff at the elementary school in Los Jardines with

active e-mail addresses. While not everyone responded, I received survey feedback from enough

participants to have a variety of perspectives. Responses came from three (3) administrative

staff, including two from the interdisciplinary team, and three (3) teachers, one teacher who is

the lead for the environmental committee. At the end of each year, the primary school instructors

are given an opportunity to change which grade level they will instruct for the following

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academic year which makes the significance of identifying the responders by grade level

unnecessary. Therefore, for the purpose of presenting this research and for the sake of privacy

and simplicity, the instructors will be referred to as teachers 1, 2, and 3. As the specific

administrative staff that have provided feedback have unique titles, I will refer to them according

to their appropriate title. The answers to their individual surveys will be made available as an

appendix at the end of the content section.

To review, the survey asked for answers to questions regarding previous and existing

challenges the school faces, whether or not the Green Classroom project addresses these

concerns and what contribution they feel the project has made overall. In personal observations, I

was able to identify a few fundamental needs and areas of concern. For example, operationally,

there was a lack of desks and materials for classrooms. Due to a lack of financial resources, they

couldn’t pay for the music teacher who was there my first year but not the second or third and

they have not had a Physical Education teacher in a couple of years. These positions, as far as

MEP expectations, were not required. Interestingly though, committee leaders are expected to

participate in national annual sports competitions and arts festivals. With regard to infrastructure,

storage was limited and there was no designated safe zone for emergencies, and in an area of the

world that experiences hundreds of earthquakes a year, this was problematic.

The responses have yielded similar opinions however each perspective adds a unique

caveat to the project as a whole. The consensus from the surveys is consistent with my initial

observations; the school most definitely faced a few challenges. One teacher responded that one

challenge early on was a lack of projects that promote respect and appreciation for the

environment. She mentions how the “implementation of trails and planting of trees has created a

positive space for the students and how the tank saves a significant amount of water as well as a

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substantial amount of money for the school” (teacher 1). Because the majority of the labor was

completed by mothers who were heads of households, the economic impact on the community

was also a meaningful outcome this project has had. She has also seen an impact on the students’

appreciation for agriculture, water and compost, and a commitment on behalf of the whole

school to maintain this project and its benefits. This particular teacher is a leader of the

environmental committee and is in the best position to make the best use of this project in future

initiatives of which the group is responsible. That she values this project in its many qualities,

shows the efforts put in to make this a realistic grass roots project were not in vein.

Other responses from the two other teachers echo a similar attitude and reflection of

positive changes. Regarding the pre-existing needs of the school, one teacher said the there was a

need to “make something of the space full of the underbrush and make it something nice and

useful for students and teachers” (teacher 2). The other teacher said the needs of the school over

the last three years have been financial, with a lack of funds to “develop a more creative and

constructive projects for students, a lack of technological and didactic material, and a play area”

(teacher 3). When asked to describe the Green Classroom project in their own words, the second

teacher said it is a pleasant space with educational tools that help the students as much as the

teachers and that this space has been converted into a beautiful and navigable space that will

grow into a small forest over time. The third teacher says it provides a space to enrich learning

for the student so that they can contextualize certain curriculum-based subject matter. For

example, the land behind the school is a hill and from the top, one can see the central valley

mountain/volcano range. This location is an ideal setting for a social sciences or geography

lesson pertaining to the physical structures visible from the top.

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Regarding the impact the project has in addressing previously discussed needs, teacher 2

believes this project will not only cultivate food the cafeteria may use, but can be a way teachers

and students can enjoy time outdoors together. Teacher 3 says the primary objective of this

outdoor classroom was to meet those specified needs and it allows for the student to construct

their own knowledge. Since the implementation of the project, the changes they have witnessed

include; teacher 2 seeing the area with life, a refuge for butterflies and birds, and the growth of

the trees planted are improving the walkways aesthetically and by providing shade while teacher

3 believes it has been a motivation for learning in will continue to be in the long run.

The director of the school was also surveyed and from the interdisciplinary team,

technically part of the administrative staff, the social worker and guidance counselor have

provided responses as well. While the social worker was my main project partner in the Green

Classroom project, the guidance counselor was also a valuable resource throughout the process

of design and implementation, as well as personal motivation for me. All three responses have a

unique understanding of the “big picture” operations of the school. The directors’ response to the

needs that existed in the school in years prior included similar needs the teachers pointed out in

their responses; there was a serious need for technology in the educational work in the

classrooms as well as a need for not only an accessible play area but recreational and innovative

classes. The director also noted infrastructural needs to better ensure the safety and security of

the students. When she was asked in the survey to describe the Green Classroom she says it has

come to be a valuable resource for students and teachers in their learning. It is a place where

teachers can use the space as part of their curriculum and students can learn in a new, more

motivated and recreational manner while also working with values such as respect, protection,

and love, for the environment. She adds that the students can have direct contact with nature

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while getting to know its wonders and developing objectives concurrent with MEP guidelines.

One of the biggest benefits she sees with this in regard to addressing current needs is a in shift in

the learning process the students are experiencing. As far as the impact she has noted since the

inception of the project, the physical change of the land that belongs to the school has been a

huge benefit, as well as a new space for teacher and students to create a different learning style

and environment.

The social worker echoes previous responses, identifying the needs as financial,

prohibiting investments in technology and obstructing students’ opportunities for recreation, as

well as infrastructural. As mentioned earlier, the only physical space the students had for recess

were the concrete hallways and covered courtyard where they held assemblies. During the dry

months the students were also able to use the small scale soccer field in the front of the school;

however it became a mud pit during the rainy season. The guidance counselor adds that a lack of

human resources was also present. There were few, if any staff members available to create and

maintain new projects. The Green Classroom project, for both the social worker and guidance

counselor, has been beneficial for the culture of the school, illuminating environmental issues

and cultivating conservationist attitudes. They also agree that it has helped diversify teaching

methods. Again, both believe the project was created to directly impact the present needs of the

students and the school overall. For example, the rain water tank has not only directly impacted

how the students and community view natural resource management. It has also directly aided in

saving the school annually on their water bill, freeing up those funds to be put to other priority

areas. In his response to describing the impact he has noticed, the social worker says the

principal impact has been the beautification of the land but he has also seen this project impact

how the teachers think as they participate with their students in their classroom gardens.

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Overall, the responses show a general acknowledgement that before the Green Classroom

project, there were substantial financial, human, and infrastructural resource deficits. While the

Green Classroom is not a solve-all, it does seem to address long and short-term concerns. In the

short term, it has beautified the school grounds, enhancing a sense of identity within the school

community, something the students and parents and teachers can be proud of. In the long term,

the teachers hope to use it as a permanent resource for teaching and influencing positive youth

behaviors. Another long term benefit identified was the potential financial resources rain water

collection system can save the school each year in their budget. The budget can then make room

for facility improvements and educational resources for the students, such as books, workbooks,

technology etc. These responses inspire confidence that the space will continue to be utilized as

an outdoor educational space. Hopefully, it will prompt students and teachers alike to keep

dreaming big to creatively approach the learning experience. In the final sections, major ideas of

this thesis are drawn into conclusions and final reflections are presented.

Conclusions

There is growing body of compelling research that supports the idea that non-formal

education models are effective in engaging youth in their own learning. The Green Classroom

initiative is the product of an increasingly accepting education environment focusing on

empowering youth as opposed to attending to deficits. Fundamental theorists such as Freire,

Piaget and Kolb have long rejected traditional concepts of static learning. Their work has

contributed to such models as Constructivism and Experiential Learning Theory, redefining what

constitutes learning and education. They have provided the field of education with a theoretical

reason to explore more dynamic approaches to teaching, such as incorporating field trips and

hands-on workshops.

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According to Erickson’s third stage of development, school provides the perfect venue

for youth to explore friendships, failures, accomplishments, building a sense of identify and

purpose. Development of these skills contributes to a greater likelihood of engaging in healthy

lifestyle choices. Educational experiences are then designed to reinforce weaker skills, attitudes

and behaviors.

There were a number of key factors that allowed for a project like the Green Classroom

to gain its momentum. Firstly, the administration of Los Jardines Elementary was open to its

concept. It began as a beautification project and grew to inspire teachers to re-evaluate how they

can not only teach important subject matter but positively impact the students. Secondly, the

project leads, I and the school social worker, shared a commitment to the betterment of the

community and felt a focus on youth development was the best approach. Thirdly, the 50 year

partnership between MEP and Peace Corps opened a channel for funding to build the additional

resource management elements for the Green Classroom. Fourthly, the school emphasizes

teaching a core set of values, such as teamwork, communication and care for others and the

environment. These values can be explored in greater depth by utilizing the Green Classroom for

activities that focus on these same values. Additionally, the excitement expressed from the

teachers when coming up with new ideas for other projects possible in the Green Classroom

areas inspires hope for sustainability as they took on the project as their own.

The Green Classroom idea, while unique in addressing the needs of the school (i.e. space

for play, engaging educational activities), was created to be replicable model. With the assistance

of someone familiar with a grant system or fundraising, a similar project could be integrated at

any academic institution with staff and teachers who truly believe in its potential. It was never a

seamless process. It was essential, however, to know that everyone supported the mission to

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empower youth and enable them to face the many challenges of life. In that way, no day was

ever wasted.

Final Reflections

As one could infer from the given feedback, the school has faced a few significant

challenges, however the Green Classroom project had always been a chance to make them

opportunities. Results from my initial diagnostic and personal conversations revealed a missing

sense of identity in the school and residents of Los Jardines. This project has since given the

school a unique feature setting it apart from other schools and giving something the parents,

teachers and students can say belongs to them and their community. My arrival paralleled the on-

boarding of the aforementioned director of the school. Before her, the school had experienced

high turn around rates of directors, changing leadership almost every year or two for the previous

five years. From a management perspective, this by itself is tough to address. Despite managing

a heavy workload, her unwavering support was invaluable. It allowed me to dream big enough to

believe something on such a large scale was possible. The support the project and I both received

from the staff was what let us know we were on a positive and useful endeavor.

One of the biggest lessons for me was when the teachers started to make decisions

regarding their classroom projects without me, marking the official hand-off of the project. I later

realized this was the ideal situation for this project and for me as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Getting the teachers on board with the project was essential. Since much of the idea was based

on using lesson periods for time outdoors, if the teachers didn’t believe in its possibilities the

project wouldn’t make it very far. The teachers who participate in the environmental stewardship

committee would be assuming responsibility for the future use and maintenance of this area in an

effort to keep the project sustainable.

41

There were many trial and error situations and projects that never came about. While I

was fortunate enough to have very insightful and value driven project partners throughout my

service, there was still a series of ideas that did not make the cut. There were a few projects that

never made it to the planning phase. For example the training program for students as tour guides

and a playground element for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes made from recycled

tires. While these projects never came to fruition in my tenure, they remain ideas of current

community members and therefore remain possibilities for future projects. That being said, the

Green Classroom will serve as a foundation for future ideas and creativity as it quite literally has

laid ground work and metaphorically opened doors to the imagination.

42

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Chart.htm

Cherry, K. (2015) Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development. Retrieved from:

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Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? in Annals of American Academy of

Political and Social Science January 2004 591: 13-24

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Oaks, California: Sage.

Hamilton, S.F., Hamilton, M.A., and Pittman, K. Principles for Youth Development in S.F.

Hamilton & M.A. Hamilton (Eds.) 2004, The Youth Development Handbook: Coming of

Age in American Communities (pp. 3-22) Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.

Kohn, A. (1999). The schools our children deserve: Moving beyond traditional classrooms and

"tougher standards." Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/fl/Psychosocial-Stages-Summary-Chart.htm

http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/fl/Psychosocial-Stages-Summary-Chart.htm

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http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED485711.pdf

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Moon, J. (2004). A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice.

New York, NY: RoutlegdeFalmer

National Education Association (NEA), (2004). No child left behind cemented as failed

education legacy of President Bush. M. A. Gonzalez (Ed). Retrieved from:

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United Nations (2009) Sports for Children and Youth: Fostering Development and

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Graphs

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Appendix A: 40 Developmental Asset Check-list

45

Appendix B: Organization Mission and objectives

Peace Corps

To promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:

To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and

women.

To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples

served.

To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.


Ministerio de Educación Pública (Ministry of Public Education)

Humanista: como base para la búsqueda de la plena realización del ser humano, de la

persona dotada de dignidad y valor, capaz de procurar su perfección mediante la

realización de los valores estipulados en la legislación educativa, tanto los de orden

individual como los de carácter social.

Racionalista: como el reconocimiento de que el ser humano está dotado de una

capacidad racional, que puede captar objetivamente la realidad en todas sus formas,

construir y perfeccionar de continuo los saberes y hacer posible el progreso humano y el

entendimiento entre las personas.

Constructivista: como el esfuerzo en el actuar, considerando que la educación debe

partir desde la situación cognoscitiva del alumno, de su individualidad, de sus intereses e

idiosincrasia, por lo que debe reconocer la cultura específica del alumno con sus

respectivas estructuras de conocimiento ya formadas y emprender una acción formativa

del alumno y del conocimiento que los transforma mutuamente (Política Educativa hacia

el Siglo XXI, págs. 8-9).

http://www.mep.go.cr/politica-educativa


http://www.mep.go.cr/politica-educativa

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Appendix C: Blank Survey

Cuestionario por la investigación de sostenibilidad del Aula Verde

1. Que necesidades existieron hace 3 años en la escuela (ej. con respeto a financiamiento,

recursos, oportunidades por los estudiantes, tecnología…)

2. En sus proprias palabras, describe el proyecto del Aula Verde.

3. El proyecto de Aula verde fue algo creado para dirigirse a estos necesidades?

4. Que impacto o cuales cambios ha visto o ha experimentado en la escuela, con

estudiantes, amiente, etc. después el proyecto fue implementado en la escuela, desde la

primera presentación hasta ahora.

5. Por favor, escribe su nombre, role en la escuela y años ha estado con la Escuela Los

Jardines

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix D: Survey Response (without identifiable information)

Cuestionario: Teacher 1



Muchas necesidades. Por ejemplo, el hacer un buen uso de una buena parte del terreno de la escuela,

para actividades recreativas y ambientales.

El embellecimiento de la planta física y sus alrededores.

La ejecución de proyectos con los estudiantes, donde se promueva el respeto y aprecio por el ambiente.

Dotar a la institución de recursos tecnológicos para lograr un aprendizaje más interesante y atractivo

por parte de los estudiantes.

2. En sus proprias palabras, describe el proyecto del Aula Verde.

Aula verde consistió en un proyecto donde se tomó un terreno escolar, que estaba totalmente

abandonado y sin ningún uso, para embellecerlo con plantas, siembra de árboles autóctonos, senderos,

huertas y un área verde para la recreación de los niños y niñas.

También se realizaron otros proyectos ambientales, como la construcción de un compost y la

habilitación de un tanque gigante para la recolección de las aguas pluviales, logrando el

aprovechamiento de éstas en labores de limpieza, logrando así un impacto positivo en la reducción del

gasto de agua potable, lo que significa también un ahorro de dinero.

Este proyecto sirvió para que otras instituciones se interesaran y apoyaran, logrando de esta manera

emplear a madres de familia, la mayoría de ellas jefas de hogar, con recursos económicos muy limitados.


Considero que este proyecto suplió muchas necesidades existentes. Lo considero un gran logro y un

gran beneficio para todos los que convivimos en este centro educativo, como para la comunidad en

general, ya que se embelleció el lugar.

4. Que impacto o cuales cambios ha visto o ha experimentado en la escuela, con estudiantes,

amiente, etc. después el proyecto fue implementado en la escuela, desde la primera

presentación hasta ahora.

Se aprecia un mayor gusto, en los estudiantes, por aprender más sobre agricultura, compost, entre

otros.

Sienten mucho interés y aprecio por caminar en un terreno, que por su belleza, invita a recrearse.

Compromiso, por parte de todos los actores de este centro educativo, por cuidar y mantener estos

proyectos.

Se aprecia un ahorro en el consumo de agua potable.

48




Necesidades de la escuela hace tres años: financiamiento económico para el desarrollo de proyectos

que permitan un aprendizaje más creativo, constructivo en los estudiantes. También se carece de

recursos tecnológicos y material didáctico, áreas de juegos entre otros.

2. En sus propias palabras, describe el proyecto del Aula Verde.

El proyecto de aula abierta viene a favorecer el aprendizaje de los estudiantes de tal manera que se

contextualizan contenidos, en las diferentes áreas del acurriculum en especial estudios sociales.


Ese fue uno de los principales objetivos, permite que sea el mismo estudiante quien construya su propio

conocimiento.




Motivación en el aprendizaje y un aprendizaje a largo plazo.

49




Exsistia la necesidad de hacer de un espacio que estaba lleno de maleza algo agradable y útil a los

estudiantes y maestras


Como un espacio a gradable y con fines educativos que ayuda tanto a estudiantes como a las maestra a

disfrutar de un aprendizaje más agradable y divertido. El lugar que estaba lleno de monte se convirtió en

un lugar bonito y con el paso de los años se convertirá en un pequeño bosque.


Cultivar productos para el consumo en el comedor escolar ,área de estudio con los estudiantes, disfrute

de tiempo libre con niños y niñas y maestras.




Se observa una área con vida es refugio de mariposa y aves los árboles estan creciendo mucho se

observan bien los senderos.

50

Cuestionario- Social Worker

1. Que necesidades existieron hace 3 años en la escuela (ej. con respeto a financiamiento, recursos, oportunidades

por los estudiantes, tecnología...)

La necesidades eran muchas y de todo tipo, en especial la de recursos económicos que no permitía realizar inversión

en tecnología e impedían dar oportunidades a los estudiantes de recreación y mejor infraestructura. Tampoco se

podía invertir en innovación.


Es un proyecto innovador, de características conservacionistas — ecologistas, orientado a desarrollar conciencia

en la población y los estudiantes sobre la necesidad de cuidar el medio ambiente, además va a permitir diversificar

los métodos de enseñanza y facilitar el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje.


Se creó para atender necesidades de recreación y esparcimiento, tanto de los estudiantes como de la población.

También para atender las necesidades de innovación educativa.

4. Que impacto o cuales cambios ha visto o ha experimentado en la escuela, con estudiantes, amiente, etc.

después el proyecto fue implementado en la escuela, desde la primera presentación hasta ahora.

El principal impacto se dio en el ambiente, en el aspecto escénico del área posterior de la escuela. Pero también

impactó en el pensamiento del personal que asumió la tarea de trabajar en agricultura con sus estudiantes y que en

este año (2016), está dando continuidad al trabajo. También se ve el impacto en la parte recreativa, pues se utiliza el

área con ese propósito.

51

Cuestionario- School Director



La institución hace tres años tenía mayor necesidad en tecnología para la labor pedagógica del aula. Áreas de juego accesibles para los estudiantes Clases lúdicas e innovadoras Infraestructura con poca seguridad para la población estudiantil


Aula verde viene a ser un recurso muy valioso para los docentes y estudiantes en su aprendizaje. Donde

los docentes pueden trasverzalizar todo el curriculum haciendo uso del aula verde y los estudiantes

aprenden de una manera diferente, motivadora, lúdica, a la vez se está trabajando el valor de respeto,

protección y amor por el medio ambiente.

Los niños tienen contacto directo con seres de la naturaleza, conociendo las maravillas de estos y

desarrollando de objetivos de acuerdo a los lineamientos del MEP.


Claro el proyecto de aula verde ayuda a minimizar las necesidades de los estudiantes principalmente en

la parte de aprendizaje




Buena presentación del centro educativo al tener un espacio de aula verde que antes era un terreno

abandonado y lleno de maleza.

Un espacio para que las docentes utilicen con su alumnos desarropando las clases diferentes.

Estudiantes más motivados al contar con ambiente diferente para su aprendizaje.

the green classroom initiative: developing a non-formal

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